Stopping Citalopram - withdrawal symptoms - how long (ball park figure)?

[marthamoo]

I've been on Citalopram (Cipramil) since ds2 was born - 3 and a half years - and it's taken me the last 18 months to wean off, I've found it very hard. I was on 10mgs (original dose 40mgs) every other day and I stopped altogether 5 days ago.

I'm suffering quite badly with feeling very dizzy, light-headed and spaced out. In fact, it seems to be getting worse rather than better. If anyone has experienced this, how long did it last?

I'm also a bit weepy and bad-tempered today but I'm hoping I can just put that down to PMT and school holidays.

Hi everyone I have just joined so that I can talk to you guys about this!! After some advice please. Been taking prozac for two and half years ( basically since my son was born) but I want to stop taking them - mainly so that we can try for another baby. Was not feeling depressed at all and have a lovely life so thought I would be fine. Went to doc who said to just stop as p has a long half life - he said 5 weeks - but sine read online that more like 8 hours!!!Was fine for the first week then started getting dizzy, achy, feeling sick etc. After 2 weeks starting to get really grumpy and irritable and know after 4 weeks really tearful too. My husband has been brilliant despite me verbally attacking him all the time but feel awful today and wondering if normal to still be getting withdrawal after 4 weeks or if the depression is coming back. Dont want to go to docs as will just tell me to start taking again!! Sorry for long, moany message but lot going round in my head!!!!

Wow! I have never sent a message on one of these boards before but feel compelled to. I have been on 20mg citalopram for about a year now (was quickly upped from 10mg). Have one tablet left and was thinking of dropping to 10mg in an attempt to get closer to coming off them as not suffering with symptoms of depression and found mindfulness techniques helped me when I was having CBT treatment and hope to rely more on what I learnt in CBT in the future and not on the tablets. I have just ordered the book mentioned from the library and will be getting a pill cutter (didn't know they existed!) and definitely taking things slowly. Withdrawal sounds horrible but I think most of us would agree that we went on them for all the right reasons and without them we couldn't have functioned at the time. Will be waiting for sunnier weather to get through the 4-6 week withdrawal time. Thanks so much for sharing your stories. I feel so much more prepared as I doubt the GP will be give me all this info tomorrow!

Hi, I've been on citalopram for about three years and I decided that I wanted to stop. For the past month I've been missing out pills and trying to lower the dosage but as I got to the end of the prescription I decided to just go cold turkey and stop. It's been so reassuring to read everyone's posts on here I thought I was going mad. I've been sat watching the tv and wanting to just cry. While in a lecture today I started crying and have now given everyone the impression I'm really upset about a topic that normally wouldn't phase me!

Ive got a doctors appointment next wk to discuss it and after today I'm not sure that I can cope without them, my headache has just gone but I feel so spaced out and a little embarrassed after my public outburst of tears.

Least after reading on here I now no I not the only one!

Xx

Hi all, this page has been so much help for me whilst i have been reading it, it's taken 3 days, haha, it has been helping me to deal with my withdrawal to know so many people are in the same boat. I was on 20mg for just over a year, my dr told me i had post natal depression but to be honest i think it was more to do with the fact that while i was pregnant, my mother in law died cancer at the ripe old age of 52, followed closely by mydad 5 mnths later who died of a brain hemorage at 50 yrs old. I wasnt allowed to see his body as he had collapsed by a radiator and it had burnt the flesh off his face, i already lost my mum during my first pregnancy to cancer and she was only 49, i was 17. My nan became my mum and she passed away during my 2 nd pregnancy, so to then lose 2 more people during my 3 rd pregnancy made me feel so incredibly guilty to the point i will never have another baby just incase life sees fit to take away someone else from me. Sorry to give my life story but surely anyone would feel depressed after tgis, i felt blessed to have my beautiful daughter so it was not pnd. Anyway back to withdrawal symptoms, i went from 20mg to 10mg but only stayed at this dose for 1 week before coming off completely, i've had nausea, headaches, dizziness, yesterday my face felt as tho it was on fire but i was covered in goosepimples, i am trting to stop my cravings for sweet things by snacking on fruit and veg sticks, raisins have become my new best friend, i also started taking omega 3 wgich has reduced my headaches dramatically today. I'm only on day 6 of withdrawal and feeling much better then yday, so i'll take each day as it comes and try to live life to the max with a clear head as its so short, my parents are proof of that, to lose them at 49 and 50 was a shock but i'm determined to lead a healthy life so ican be around longer for my girls, i miss them everyday but my little ones keep me smiling. I apologise for the bad spelling i wrote this on my phone and couldnt see what i was writing. I'm not completely illiterate.

Hi Lindyloo28. Wow, you have had so much to deal with, I am not surprised you needed a little help! I was in a similar situation when I went on cit. Whilst I was pregnant with DS2 my mother was slowly descending in to vascular dementia. She got sectioned due to the illness when I was 6 months pregnant and then eventually put in a home and passed away. 6 months later, my husband was attacked and nearly killed suffering a huge head injury and having basically to learn to walk again. Awful time in my life and the citilopram really helped me to get through it but I never liked being on it and wanted to get off. The withdrawl was really hard, felt totally awful but did it slowly and had good support from my husband and have now been cit free for 1 year and 4 months! Hoorah! Looking back at my life then, it was a dark dark time. I have no idea how the hell I got through it all but I did, and so have you and you can totally do this and get off those horrible pills. The one good thing I think now is if I got through all that, I can do anything, and so can you. Good luck with it all, hang in there!

Hi hypermum, thankyou for your reply, just one question how long did your withdrawal last for? I've now gone over a month and i am still getting headaches everyday altho the other symptoms have gone. i am under alot of stress at the moment tho and i'm just wondering if its that instead. Thats awful what happened to your husband, i hope they caught the person/people that did it. Is he ok now? I know its not on the same level but i'm felling very stressed waiting for some biopsy results to see if my husband(only 30yrs old) has skin cancer. It just seems to be one thing after another and i'm missing the way citilopram made me feel numb to it all. Although i can properly laugh again now ratger then just pretend, i enjoy things again like i used to, so it was definately the right decision to come off them. I would love to hear when you you think you were completely over the withdrawal effects though. Thanks.

Hello. They did catch the man who did it and he spent 2 years in prison. Although his family have been given a council house just yards from our house but thats another story! He is fine now, thankfully. I don't think his confidence will ever be the same and he has permanent tinitus but at least he is here with us! That must be really hard on you waiting for your husbands results. I hope he is Ok.

I am not really sure how long it took to totally feel "normal". I think I am a lot more aware of my feelings of low mood and stress now and I when I feel it coming on I try my hardest to stop it. I have taken up running. That seems to have really helped me. some days i absolutely hate it but I force myself to go and it makes the world of difference.

Congratulations on going over a month though. Keep going, keep being kind to yourself and congratulate yourself on each week you go without them. You will get there. x

Hi fellow sufferers. I've been on citalopram for 5 and a half years, cutting down from 40mg to 5mg over about 3 months. I took my last one just over a week ago and have all the nasty side effects previously mentioned; it feels to me like a cross between morning sickness and severe jetlag. I count myself lucky because I'm semi retired now and live alone, so I can manage my symptoms. i usually care for my elderly mum but she knows she may not see me for a few weeks till this has passed. I can't imagine how those of you with young families and jobs are coping and I feel angry that GPs don't seem aware of how bad you can feel when coming off these drugs. I am planning to go in and tell my GP so she can't say she didn't know. Right now, I just wish I knew how long long it would be before I feel better but is sounds as if everyone is different, so I am hunkering down to wait it out. I have to do this as the citalopram had made me feel so slowed down and as if I was living life in monochrome, without any real feelings. Good luck to you all in the same boat.

Hi everyone. Firstly, I hope Im not treading on any toes on here as Im one of the 'bloke' species ! However. Im currently off work for a week with Citalopram withdrawal problems, and thought Id share my experience with it. Last June I suffered a full-blown panic attack, aged 40. Never had one before, and not had one since, but must say it was the most terrifying 15/20 mins of my life. I actually thought I was having a heart attack and was about to die ! This, in turn gave me a lovely disorder called 'panic anxiety', which Id never heard of until a few weeks later (just as I was getting my head round the panic attack), a very close friend Id known since 6yrs old, died suddenly of a heart attack even though he was in good shape. (Heart defect). I went to the Dr the day after he died as I couldnt sleep that night, and this whole 'panic' thing really took off. After telling my GP all about it, he put me on Diazepam and Citalopram. The Diazepam was to calm me down, 3x2mg daily, until I felt better. The Citalopram was only ever 10mg every day, for at least 6 months I was told. So. Approx 12 months later I decided I was ok (had been for a few months but wanted to be sure), went back to GP who told me to take one, every other day for 2weeks, then stop. I did exactly this even though I had a few 'moments'. 2 weeks later. Bang ! And here we are. Severe headaches that last only a short period then vanish, flu like symptoms, stomach cramps, nausea, head shocks, tremors, feeling weepy (a grown man !), tiredness. Im sure Ive missed one or two aswell. . For me it lasted about 4 days and at the min Im ok and back to work on Sun. Im convinced GPs should give you a lot longer to get off these things, I was on the min dosage and had withdrawal, so I can only guess what some folk are going through. Whats definately helped me is, doing some excersise and get those endorphins buzzing ! All I know is. If I ever have a funny turn again, Im going to try to cope without the Citalopram. I went to a hypnotist, which helped a lot and also had some counselling. Amazing what talking to a stranger can do ! Anyway chapettes, I hope in some way Ive made someone feel a bit better. Its definately difficult, but it will pass ! :-)

I would never go off antidepressants of any kind quick. SLOWLY go off them talk to a pharmacist they can find out about it. I am still after 8 days feeling dizzy and odd feelings. Dr's only good at giving you drugs they don't bother writing down symptoms they don't want to know I have found. If you get really sick going on a new one it's not the right one for you! they can trial you on a new one! you will get mild symtoms but if it's major then try another one! my dr did because I just couldn't look after the kids with so many symptoms with the new drug. I went through 3 kinds to find one that didn't make me feel really sick like someone said above. There is also 5HTP serotonin pills that are natural which are helping me come off my symptoms of withdrawal of 8 days now (I am not taking any antidepressents anymore you can't take natural stuff untill 3 days off antidepressents. I was on antidepressent for 8 months. Also magnesium is good. These all can be taken instead of antidepresnt BUT depending how depressed you are! My advice would be go to see or phone a health shop person explain how depressed you feel or anxiety etc then decide if prescription is the best for you. There is choices natural and other wise. I went on antidepressents because I didn't know anything else that could help me. I was very depressed I never regret going on them as they were a life saver at the time, found it very hard looking after my kids and hating life didn't want to leave the house etc etc. Just it's always good to get the full facts so you can be prepared. Try get some good support from family friends as talking is a huge help with mental illness. All the best x

I'm weaning down off sertraline and I'm doing it very, very slowly. GP is fab, she wants me to go as slowly as I like, and have no fixed end point. In my mind though, I want to be down from 100 to 50mg by Christmas, then off them entirely by next summer.

What breaks my heart and makes me furious is when I read on AD forums about Americans having to go off ADs suddenly due to not being able to afford the script any more.

Look, we get our meds very cheaply here (free to me, I'm Scottish!) and there is no gain whatsoever to rushing it. Do it over months, not days or weeks.

Good luck all weaners, we're all going through it together.

Hi everyone
I have just found this forum and have found this thread incredibly interesting.

I wonder if I can ask for some desperate advice please?
I have been slowing tapering from 40mg citalopram, 5mg at a time. I am currently at 20mg and have been for 6 days but am struggling incredibly with withdrawal systems: brain and limb zaps and spasms, dizziness, sloshing feeling, head spinning, keep falling over or stumbling.... It is horrible and I feel drunk and woozy - not good when I work with small children!
So do I continue on 20mg and try to work through these feelings and symptoms??
Or go back up to 25mg to re-stabilise? I am reluctant to do this but I need to get back to work as have had to be off for 2 days so far :(
Please, any advice greatly welcomed xx

I have just found this thread and it's been really helpful to read.

redslk I really can't advise you and I suggets discussing it all with your GP.

I have been on 20 mg Citalopram for nearly three years for treatment of major anxiety/depression. The drug saved my life - no doubt about it, however am keen to get off it now as am feeling alot stronger. My GP suggested going alternate dyas 20mg/10mg which I've now been doing for a couple of weeks. I have been getting alot of palpitations which am prone to anyway, so am guessing this is due to the wthdrawal and also lots of tingling everywhere especially my legs and feet! My GP suggested this was due to the Citalopram and it would go away. For the last couple of days I have noticed my energy levels have significantly risen, and also that I am feeling alot more like my 'old' self. The person I was before seems to be coming back, libido much increased (man delighted!!), I laugh more and cry more - when on the drug I was almost emotionless - weird..... Anyway unless the side effects of withdrawal are so severe its making life hell my advise is come off them very slowly and stick with it - am trying to ignore the heart flutters as am sure they'll disappear eventually. I agree with many of you too that keeping your brain full of other thoughts and not allowing it to wander back to wondering how you are also works wonders. x

So glad I've found this site, I have been on SSR's for 17 years but put on citalopram 14 months ago, I've just come off them having very vivid dreams that stay with me all day, chronic acid reflux and weird brain jerk feelings, along with dizziness.
I'm tempted to go back on but after reading the posts, now know this is nothing unusual and will try and stay off them. Wishing all those in my situation the very best, lets hope we succeed. This drug was good whilst on it for me but the withdrawal phase is Evil.

Hubby just stopped taking 20mg citalopram- cold turkey!! He is already spinning into angry outbursts, cross about anything from a left on light to a candle that he don't like the smell of, just wondering when the violence and destruction will re-appear. Can't make him take them and he does not know how unusual his behaviour is, thinks he is totally reasonable. Refusing to talk, refusing any food I offer, just grabbing crisps and loaf, I can cope but I worry about the effects on my 18 yr old son, just doing his a2 A levels, hubby thinks he a lazy blood sucker!! You can't help me but it helps to vent y'know :)

can not believe how long this conversation has been going on! I have recently gone from 20mg down to 10mg and in the past week stopped all together! since then I have experienced extreme dizziness server head ache, very short tempered.. crying all the time. its been awful.. and now after a week im having panic attacks and feel very nearvy!!! I did feel really vad before I started on them but if I ever get to the place again.. not sure if citalopram is the way I'll go???

Just found this & wanted to add my experiences with citalopram.
I was prescribed it at the beginning of the year for depression, weeks on 10 mgs then up to 20 mgs.It made a massive improvement to my life,but ruined my sex life!!!I really struggled with the fact that it affected my ability to orgasm.So I dropped it down to 10 mgs about a month ago,then10 mgs every other day & gradually stopped ,but the week after,I started to suffer from anxiety(which I had not done before),got all panicky & upset because of this & started to take 10 mgs every day again.
But after finding this and reading the link someone posted early on in the convo.I'm pretty convinced it was withdrawal symptoms.
So what do I do now,been back on 10 mgs a day for a week,not sure if I should drop down to 5 mgs or stop altogether & ride out the withdrawals??

Hope everyone else is coping ok

the withdrawal is terrible. . I have suffered with panic attacks and anxiety ib the past and find tge feeling of not being able to breath and the feeling of anxiety unbearable! I only started them to treat depression when looking back it has helped me. I have also thought about starting to take them again to stop the withdrawal but I've gone a week now so I'm going to see it out. the reason I started on them I'm coping with now so I refuse to take them for a reason they are causing (if that makes sense) id say if you feel strong enough to come off them then do so but very gradually. I went from 20 to 10 for a month tgen stopped. in hindsight I would have took 5mg then 5mg every other day. I nearly just walked out of work today... felt like I was going to have a nervous breakdown! !! I also think that the doctors under estimated the side effects and withdrawal symptoms it has on people. when I rang to report my problems he said the very small minority will have slight withdrawal.. I don't think that is a true statement. I will be very reluctant to use citalopram again... although I did feel like killing myself so I suppose it out ways the risk of possible symptoms. I think the facts should be know though. getting through this now is . a whole different ball game. ???? x

Hi everyone. I felt compelled to post here as although I am not a parent (in the future I'd like to foster maybe so will keep my account!) , I am going through citalopram withdrawal and like many of you discovering just how challenging it is. I have been slowly tapering off for the past three months or so, from 20mg to 10mg daily for a few weeks, then half a 10mg tablet every day, then every two days. When I first began to withdraw I began to feel symptoms of depression and anxiety again which was alarming, but it passed within a few days. My GP had told me it could happen but of course when it does you're still not prepared for it, especially after you've been feeling much more stable! I haven't gotten many more bad episodes of that but I have been going through the head shocks and spaced out feeling many of you mention (making sudden head movements seems to exacerbate it). I also had a couple of feelings of dissociation which were very strange experiences! I have been taking one half tablet whenever I begin to feel the head shocks return, which now is about every four - five days but is lessening as time goes on. For me this has taken a good two weeks so persevere with it, it will pass. Now I think in place of head buzzes I am feeling more nauseated and can't sleep - when I was on Citalopram I felt constantly shattered! So I am not psyching myself up for this next 'stage' of withdrawal. My libido vanished when I began on the meds and still isnt great. to be honest that part has upset me, which sounds silly/selfish I know but I'm just not used to it - I had a very decent sex drive before but now I'd rather read a good book than have a good, er, time I also put on a few pounds which i never do - ive always been skinny so it was a bit of a shock (but a good one in a way as i was a little underweight! swings and roundabouts). The good things are I feel less fatigued now and when I think back to my mental state, well it is helping me realise how much better I feel within myself now.

I hope the above reassures people that these things although unpleasant are temporary. Of course everyone is going to be different and if the side effects are very intense then it's not worth powering through if something can be done to alleviate the symptoms.

Anyway, lastly I thought I'd share a couple of things I did to ease the symptoms. It may just be a psychological effect but hey if you believe it'll work, it most likely will Firstly for the head shocks I used to keep a sugary drink nearby, usually lucozade, or a sugary tea (half black and half green is good). it seemed to help minimise the dizziness a little and perked me up, as sugar does! For the insomnia I've been taking a herbal tea that contains Valerian root and a few other things, can't remember the name of it now but it's available in Holland and Barratt. I have also been taking multi vitamins daily just to boost my immune system. There's a fab vitamin tea (also at H&B - I don't work there I swear LOL). I've also been having a few ginger containing foods ('real' ginger biscuits and ginger ale, home made stir fry with plenty of green veg and...yes ginger, plus lemon and ginger tea) which seem to help with the nausea, and antacids when my tummy just feels a bit wooshy.

I hope the above helps someone out, whether it be associating their experience with mine or some assurance that everything will be okay in the end. Thanks to everyone else for posting as it has made me more determined than ever to get over this final hurdle. Every time I feel I have to take a half tab I get a bit dejected but I know that one day soon it will be my last and I wish everyone the best for getting better

Hi all,

This thread has been great, knowing that these symptoms are common makes life a lot easier.

I just wanted to share my experience as I'm coming off them at the moment.

I have been on 20mg Citalopram for around three years, it was a very positive experience for me, I was prescribed it for anxiety and depression. I had lots of therapy and CBT during the first year and have continued to practise CBT and mindfulness ever since. Last year I felt really good and really felt ready to come of the drugs!

After discussing with my doctor, and other professionals I have as friends I decided to wean off slowly (I had experienced really bad withdrawal symptoms every time I forgot a pill or my prescription ran out - dizziness and nausea being the worst) so was not looking forward to it! I am totally looking forward to loosing some weight though - two stone on since I started taking them!

The aim was to come off by no more that 10mg a week, so in the first week I broke one pill in half, the second week did this on two days etcetera etcetera. This was going great until the last week when I've taken the last pills. It's horrible and despite doing everything the right way it seems you still experience the symptoms at the end!

From others' experiences on here it seems that it's just tough, three weeks of this no matter how you do it! I am determined to get off these so will just have to deal with I guess! I shall keep you updated over the next few weeks...

Please help. I have been sick for a year and a half and I need to find the problem.

I had a kidney infection and kidney stones last March, and then illnesses and various side effects that have led to a poorly last year and a half. Thinking this infection was the root, I tried elimination diets for the last 6 months, which haven't helped much, and so then I had a colonoscopy and gastroscopy on Monday that I thought would surely find the cure, but tests came back clear. I was feeling totally baffled and devastated to have still not found the answer to my problems.

I was thinking tonight that perhaps it is something I am putting into my body on a daily basis that has slowly poisoned me. This can't be something from my diet, as I have tried cutting out everything (wheat, dairy, sugar, gluten, you name it). So, these two things are Nexplanon, there all the time, or Citalopram, which I take every night.

I am exhausted all the time, I have acne for the first time in my life, I get dry skin and dry hair. My moods are low, I have no sex drive. My immume system is shot, I get colds and viruses once a month. The only thing that hasn't been affected is my weight- if anything, I've lost weight, not gained it. I have trouble concentrating at work, and terrible memory. And my periods over the last 5 months have followed the pattern of: on for one week, off for one week, on for one week, or more recently, one for two weeks, off for a few days, on again for another 4 or 5 days, off for three weeks or so.

(I also get constipation, diarrhoea, and stomach pains, but I suspect this is something to do with IBS, my diet, etc, and possibly not related to these medications, though maybe it is)

I'm trying to now figure out if the problem is my Nexplanon or my Citalopram. I don't want to have to come off either unnecessarily; my Nexplanon protects me and I've tried coming off Citalopram before, to disastrous side effects.

So, if anyone is reading these symptoms and feels theirs match quite specifically, please let me know.

(Also, have any of you been fine on the Nexplanon/Citalopram for the first few months (it was about 8 months for me on the Nexplanon before this all started.)

Thank you thank you thank you.

have been on citalopram for just over 2 years. took a while for my depression to easw but i do believe the pills have helped. i now want to come of mt 30m dose but am not feeling great. is this a good time? am wondering if my system is too used to the drug? worried Gp will want to up my dose. i really want to come of these

Hey All:
I decided to stop taking Citalopram (ran out and went to a clinic that is still going through the process of being able to prescribe certain "controlled substances"). I had been taking it since high school (about 7-8 years), and my progression was Lexapro to Celexa to generic Citalopram. All of theses i believe are SSRIs. I actually use this medication to prevent myself from getting migraines and I originally started with 40mg but cut it down to 20mg and have been on this dose for probably 5 of the 7/8 years. My new clinican thought I would be fine switching from Citalopram to a different preventative med, Amitriptyline (used for depression and migraines). I don't have depression although I did have anxiety/stress issues in high school. Anyway, I ran out of Citalopram before I could try to wean myself off but figured I would be ok switching.

In the past, if I forgot a pill for a day or maybe ran out for a few days, I would feel dizzy, lightheaded and general ickiness if I moved around too much. Well, after stopping Citalopram for not even a week (and starting the Amitriptyline), I have the same symptoms. Dizzy, lightheaded, some nausea, etc. Also, I was reading that these drugs can interact to cause heart issues??? I have felt heaviness in my chest and some fluttering, but I'm not sure if that's an interaction or just my body craving the Citalopram? I know SSRIs as well as other drugs can stay in your system for a while before you're free of their effects. Since I have been taking Citalopram for so long, I'm guessing it may take a while. It's a little scary to drive at times because of the dizziness but I want to stick with being off and see if my migraines even come back. I have been on Citalopram so long that I don't even know if I get migraines anymore like I used to?

graciegrace8: I never had any bad symptoms while taking Citalopram, although I started at 16 years old and I'm almost 25 now. I never noticed any IBS or weight issues, infections, etc. Everyone reacts differently though. I am also on birth control (Junel) and haven't noticed any real side effects with that either (maybe libido but weight gain is only if I eat crappy food, high calories). Citalopram is certainly a bad one to stop "cold turkey" as I'm finding out!

It seems like most people here have had similar problems coming off Citalopram, and I wish I had just weaned off of it. Yet, it seems even with reducing the dose, people have issues :/

Hiya all, I've just read this entire thread, as I'm about to start coming off Citalopram after 6 years on 20mg (brief period on 40mg in the middle). Am aiming for very gradual withdrawal - GP advised alternating 20/10 for a week or so and then alternate days etc, he thought I could do it in a month-ish. However, having read all the horror stories online, but also seen some good advice, I have decided on the following option: I have bought a pill cutter and am going to try 17.25 for 3-4 weeks, then 15mg for 3-4 weeks, etc - this can be sped up or slowed down according to how I react to the change each time.

I have noticed three important facts in my research. From memory, here they are:

1. The effects are different for everyone, some people have awful withdrawal symptoms while others have none

2. it takes at least 3 weeks for the full effect of each level of withdrawal to kick in, so it's important to wait that long (for the very first decrease at least!) to properly assess how your system reacts

3. [and this seems hugely relevant to many of the posts I've read here] your body reacts most sensitively to any change in dosage between 10mg and 0mg. Maybe that's why people have such trouble weaning themselves fully off right at the end. Just when you think it should be getting easier, it gets much harder. So the advice I read was to take it extra, extra slowly right at the end, rather than rushing to stop completely.

There are some of the webpages I found helpful:

www.rcpsych.ac.uk/expertadvice/treatments/antidepressants/comingoffantidepressants.aspx

www.rcpsych.ac.uk/expertadvice/treatments/antidepressants/comingoffantidepressants.aspx

survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2023-tips-for-tapering-off-celexa-citalopram/

Good luck to everyone attempting this - including myself! Will try and remember to update as I progress.

ps - I should add that I'm only trying to come off Cit as I want to try for a baby and thought it best to be pill-free. Otherwise I would be much less brave. I do have a slightly reduced libido but no other problems like weight gain or anything, so there wasn't much incentive to stop taking it until now!